"Men succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
How did your 6-day No Sugar Challenge go?
Mine went well, and I learned a few things in the process (including one very important chocolate-hack).
First let me say that I did something that you should never do when performing an experiment like this - I started a new workout program, also. I am going to try out Brian Makenzie's methods to train for an ultramarathon that I will never actually run, but that I figure will get me into really good shape for all kinds of other stuff. Post on that to come... it is really killer.
But, this is life and it must go on even in the face of experiments, so I started this program which is incredibly whoop-ass while eating no sugar. Therefore, I cannot conclusively say that not eating sugar helped me to recover more quickly, but I certainly believe that it contributed to it because of the aftermath of the night that I did eat sugar.
You see, one of my friends (who loves making paleo-treats) had a big birthday party on day 5 of my 6 day challenge, and I did my best to avoid eating sugar at the party - I made a big filling meal before hand and was ready to avoid treats at all costs. However, at some point I decided I gotta live life! SO, I had one of her coconut cupcakes, and it was amazing. So I had another - the other flavor. I made it out of there after eating about 5 of them. The next day I felt like all of my energy to work out was gone, and I felt generally grumpy!
Well, I took my own advice and loved myself despite eating the cupcakes, and I re-engaged in my challenge with renewed purpose. The next 6 days were sugar free and I felt great. Furthermore, I think my palate adjusted (even more than before) and allowed me to thoroughly enjoy vegetables and other non-sugary foods even more than before. There is something really powerful about fueling your body right!
Ok, now for the important stuff:
THE CHOCOLATE HACK.
After doing just 6 days of no sugar, I decided on day 7 to have 100% cacao instead of my usual 85-90% bar of chocolate. Because of the shift in my palate after those 6 days, 100% cacao (which you can imagine used to taste very strong) with coconut oil on top of it is even more delicious than a regular dark chocolate bar (100% cacao has 0 g of sugar, by the way). If you are worried about the fat in coconut oil, I submit that 100% cacao with coconut oil (0 grams of sugar and plenty of the short-chain fatty acids that your body LOVES) is far better for your health than any chocolate with sugar in it. Try it out and see if you can learn to enjoy cacao in this way! I have even started using some raw cacao nibs in a recipe I created for a chocolate smoothie, which is also supremely satisfying. I will try to post a recipe for that soon, too.
That's all for now folks, stay tuned for the next weekly challenge!
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
How did your 6-day No Sugar Challenge go?
Mine went well, and I learned a few things in the process (including one very important chocolate-hack).
First let me say that I did something that you should never do when performing an experiment like this - I started a new workout program, also. I am going to try out Brian Makenzie's methods to train for an ultramarathon that I will never actually run, but that I figure will get me into really good shape for all kinds of other stuff. Post on that to come... it is really killer.
But, this is life and it must go on even in the face of experiments, so I started this program which is incredibly whoop-ass while eating no sugar. Therefore, I cannot conclusively say that not eating sugar helped me to recover more quickly, but I certainly believe that it contributed to it because of the aftermath of the night that I did eat sugar.
You see, one of my friends (who loves making paleo-treats) had a big birthday party on day 5 of my 6 day challenge, and I did my best to avoid eating sugar at the party - I made a big filling meal before hand and was ready to avoid treats at all costs. However, at some point I decided I gotta live life! SO, I had one of her coconut cupcakes, and it was amazing. So I had another - the other flavor. I made it out of there after eating about 5 of them. The next day I felt like all of my energy to work out was gone, and I felt generally grumpy!
Well, I took my own advice and loved myself despite eating the cupcakes, and I re-engaged in my challenge with renewed purpose. The next 6 days were sugar free and I felt great. Furthermore, I think my palate adjusted (even more than before) and allowed me to thoroughly enjoy vegetables and other non-sugary foods even more than before. There is something really powerful about fueling your body right!
Ok, now for the important stuff:
THE CHOCOLATE HACK.
After doing just 6 days of no sugar, I decided on day 7 to have 100% cacao instead of my usual 85-90% bar of chocolate. Because of the shift in my palate after those 6 days, 100% cacao (which you can imagine used to taste very strong) with coconut oil on top of it is even more delicious than a regular dark chocolate bar (100% cacao has 0 g of sugar, by the way). If you are worried about the fat in coconut oil, I submit that 100% cacao with coconut oil (0 grams of sugar and plenty of the short-chain fatty acids that your body LOVES) is far better for your health than any chocolate with sugar in it. Try it out and see if you can learn to enjoy cacao in this way! I have even started using some raw cacao nibs in a recipe I created for a chocolate smoothie, which is also supremely satisfying. I will try to post a recipe for that soon, too.
That's all for now folks, stay tuned for the next weekly challenge!
